1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is in the field of early warning devices for fire detection and more particularly relates to a compact apparatus which has no moving parts and which measures the concentration and the rate of change in the concentration of carbon dioxide at the onset of a fire as a means for early and rapid detection of the fire.
2. Related Patent Applications
A first companion patent application by the present inventor, titled "Rapid Fire Detector" was filed simultaneously with the present application. As will be discussed more fully below, the invention of the first companion application uses a dual wavelength technique, while the present invention uses a single wavelength technique.
A second companion patent application by the present inventor, titled "Gas Sample Chamber" was also filed simultaneously with the present application. Although the present invention employs the sample chamber of the second companion patent application, the patent-ability of the present invention rests on an independent basis.